Chinese Team Interested in Signing Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford’s services aren’t just being sought by NBA teams; he seems to be popular in China, too. ESPN reports on the Xinjiang Flying Tigers’ interest in the guard: “The Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China are looking to sign Jamal Crawford now that the 2011-12 NBA season appears to be in jeopardy, according to sources close to the situation. Xinjiang has the biggest budget in China even after signing Kenyon Martin and a fresh opening in its backcourt thanks to an injury suffered by ex-NBA guard Quincy Douby, formerly a first-round pick of the Sacramento Kings. League rules only allow Chinese teams to sign NBA free agents, but sources say Xinjiang is hoping to capitalize on the uncertainty created by the NBA’s suddenly-uncertain future to land Crawford and fill its need for a backcourt scorer. Crawford, who won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award with the Atlanta Hawks in 2010, recently switched agents to sign with Andy Miller, who did Martin’s deal with Xinjiang. Xinjiang is one of the Chinese teams that negotiated with Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant earlier this summer. The Flying Tigers, sources say, would love to make another run at Bryant, but the Chinese Basketball Association instituted rules in the summer that prevent its teams from signing any player with an existing NBA contract or offering an NBA out clause in any new contract.”